Twenty- five Seven

No food to say NO to.

December 9, 2014

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How easy it is for us to say NO
to food we don’t like
because we’re simply too full or just not in the mood

How easy it is for us to to say no
to food that is not to our liking or taste.
Our exclusive palates so pampered and spoilt
That we flatly refuse to try anything slightly unfamiliar
Scared to try even the tiniest of crumbs

We stick up our noses at strange smells and aromas
And stay by what’s trusted and tried over years.
We condemn all those others who don’t eat like we do
And judge them as barbarians or philistines or just plain cuckoo.

We have food fads and fancies
And gadgets and gizmos
And people who pander
To our diets and food kinks.

How easy it is for us to choose the food that we like
The tastiest, the best and the choicest of choices.

How easy it is for us to make food
With exotic ingredients from far off places
With strange sounding spices
And unpronounceable names.

How easy it is for us to stuff ourselves to burping
Eating whatever we want to
whenever we want to and the way that we want
Sometimes more than we need.

And yet there are people, just a few feet away
Who day after day and year after year,
Don’t know from where their next meal is coming
Who don’t have the privilege of saying NO
To the food they don’t like
They don’t have an idea of how to say NO
It’s not of my choice.
I don’t like the colour
I don’t like the flavour
I don’t want to eat now

Because the poor souls have NO food at all.

The next time we dismiss food on the table as unappetising or simply not our favourite, let us think of the millions of children who don’t have the luxury of saying no to food. We are indeed lucky that we don’t have to think about this problem – that we have the opportunity to feed our bodies and our minds. While it is impossible to feed every hungry mouth, it is definitely possible to feed one. Let us feed a child today but also keep in mind

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Let each one of us lucky Indians help eliminate Classroom hunger today.

I am going to #BlogToFeedAChild with Akshaya Patra and BlogAdda
How to get Lucky – Easy & breezy

December 8, 2014

Paperback

Author: Ashwin Sanghi

Language: English

Length: 160 pages

Publisher: Westland

Yet another self help book

Once my daughter was cleaning up the book shelf and decided to sort out the books topic wise. She managed to find a whole shelf i.e. 1/3 of our books only on self help. Obviously the first book didn’t help, nor did the second, nor did even the entire collection else, why would I have bought yet another self-help book?

Simply because it was written by Ashwin Sanghi.

Anyone who has read anything by Ashwin Sanghi will admit that he has an engaging style and his books make a good read.

His latest offering “13 Steps to Bloody Good Luck” is his first foray into non-fiction.

I was shopping at Westside when this book caught my eye while at the check-out counter. Since it was just Rs.100, I picked it up but later found that the same edition is available from Flipkart for Rs.75 and even cheaper Rs.60 as an e-book.

Yet despite the fact that didn’t get a discount, I have no regrets, for this book is definitely worth every penny spent on it.

The Book

Starting out with the dedication to his father, it is apparent that Ashwin Sanghi is indeed a lucky fellow – simply because he has the good fortune to being born to his parents, parents who allowed him to follow his dream . Indeed, very few parents permit their children to follow their dreams especially when their dreams are different. So the first step to being lucky is to be at the right place at the right time.

Ashwin has identified 13 steps to become lucky….. because as he says,

After completing my first novel The Rozabal Line I was in the process of making submissions to literary agents and publishers. After sending over a hundred letters, I was sorely disappointed when polite and not-so-polite rejections arrived. a year later, it was evident to me that no one was really interested in my work.

I described my situation to a close family friend who was having diner with my father. Taking a generous gulp of his third peg of Johnnie Walker Black Label, the gregarious Punjabi gentleman responded, “In life, ninety-nine per cent is about good luck! Just remember that son.’
In a slightly argumentative tone I asked, ‘But uncle, what about the balance one per cent? Surely that must be hard work or talent?’
Laughing loudlyh, he declared triumphantly,’The final one per cent? that’s called bloody good luck, my boy! Simply keep at it and wait for your bloody good luck to kick in.’

However, with a series of anecdotes and quotations from the lives of various successful people and inspirational and motivational writers, Sanghi shows how one can actually cultivate the luck required and not just wait around for it to kick in.

Unlike most people, Sanghi believes that 13 is a lucky number and identifies 13 steps to become lucky. Most of these are already familiar to all of us but it is nice to be reminded of them every once in a while.

People who are lucky are those who have the right attitude and approach to events and opportunities that come their way. Essentially it is up to the individual to reap the benefits of what life has to offer and become lucky argues Sanghi in a lucid and entertaining manner. Indeed once while reading the book my bai was amazed to see me laugh at what she thought was nothing till she realised that I was enjoying the book.

The verdict

This book is worth a read and will definitely leave you feeling happy and inspired, ready to charm Lady Luck herself!

I am linking this post to ProBlogger WriteTribe
Malaysian Chocolate Magic

December 7, 2014

Years ago when I was looking out for a good cocoa powder to make my famous chocolate brownies (famous because the girls used to take two batches to school – one for themselves and one for their friends) and Arif told me to buy some loose packed cocoa powder which he claimed was Malaysian. I did wonder what kind of powder it was in the first place since it neither had a label nor was I able to taste it since it was sealed in a pre-weighed packet, but being trustful by nature and not having had a bad experience with Arif, went by what he said and wasn’t disappointed. In fact, I’ve been buying Malaysian cocoa ever since.

Actually Malaysian cocoa itself was a revelation because I remember learning about the two cash crops in Malaysia which were Rubber and Palm oil. Obviously somewhere down the line, Cocoa was introduced to this country and it has made inroads into its agricultural bounty.

According to the International Cocoa Organisation

Cocoa plants respond well to relatively high temperatures, with a maximum annual average of 30 – 32ºC and a minimum average of 18 – 21ºC.

Variations in the yield of cocoa trees from year to year are affected more by rainfall than by any other climatic factor. Trees are very sensitive to a soil water deficiency. Rainfall should be plentiful and well distributed through the year. An annual rainfall level of between 1,500mm and 2,000mm is generally preferred. Dry spells, where rainfall is less than 100mm per month, should not exceed three months

A hot and humid atmosphere is essential for the optimum development of cocoa trees. In cocoa producing countries, relative humidity is generally high: often as much as 100% during the day, falling to 70-80% during the night.

The cocoa tree will make optimum use of any light available and traditionally has been grown under shade. Its natural environment is the Amazonian forest which provides natural shade trees. Shading is indispensable in a cocoa tree’s early years.

And since Malaysia is a tropical country with all these parameters, it would be the ideal place to cultivate cocoa.

The Cocoa Boutique

During my recent trip to Malaysia, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that our hotel Renaissance was bang opposite the Cocoa Boutique which is in the Malaysia Tourism Centre Complex on Jalan Ampang. So Sunday morning when I had some time to spare, I made a quick dash to this shop and feasted on the chocolate treats. Sadly, this was just a visual feast since it was Sunday and the shop was only open for sale but apparently, according to Jeevan our guide, if you go on any other day, you can experience a tasting of the chocolates that have been created specially for tropical climates.

From a small beginning in 2005, Coco Boutique has become an International brand and many people come for their hand made chocolates and their unique chocolates like chili chocolate, Tongkat Ali ( made out of Ginseng), Durian and even curry.

Since this chocolate is made specially for tropical countries and stays without refrigeration, I bought a whole load of Hazelnut, almond and assorted chocolate gift packs. I also bought some sugar-free which met with great approval from Hubby Dear.

As for the rest of us, indeed this chocolate is creamy and dreamy and truly magical.

So the next time you are in KL or at Genting HIghland, do drop by at the Cocoaboutique for a magical chocolate experience.

p.s. You can even attend the DIY session at the Harriston factory and take home your own hand made chocolates or even see a small demonstration at the Cocoa Boutique at

Cocoa Boutique Flagship at Malaysia Tourism Centre (MTC)

Pusat Perlancongan Malaysia, 139 Jalan Ampang,
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: +603-2162 2008 / 4008 Fax: +603-2164 2008
Email: enquiry@cocoaboutique.com.my